Vietnam
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · Since 1997, possession or smuggling at least 100g or...
- News items in the archive
- 784
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Vietnam is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 784 news items on Vietnam, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
MAY 20, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: TEN DRUG SMUGGLERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
Vietnam has sentenced 10 people to death for smuggling meth, ketamine and ecstasy across the country by train, state media reported on 17 May 2019.
- MARCH 19, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: 3 DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Vietnamese court has sentenced three local people to death and another to life imprisonment for drug trafficking, according to local media on 19 march 2019
JANUARY 17, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: SCHOOL TEACHER GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A school teacher in northern Vietnam has received the death penalty for drug trafficking, state media reported on 15 January 2019.
- JANUARY 16, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: DEATH PENALTY HANDED TO TWO HEROIN TRANSPORTERS
The Hanoi People’s Court pronounced the death penalty for two defendants charged with the illegal transportation of drugs at the first instance trial on 10 January 2019.
- JANUARY 1, 2019VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment remains for crimes
Capital punishment remains for crimes such as murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking, and sexual abuse of children.
DECEMBER 4, 2018VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: 13 SENTENCED TO DEATH IN TWO HEROIN TRAFFICKING CASES
Two separate trials sentenced 13 Vietnamese drug dealers to death on 30 November 2018, making them among the toughest in years.
- DECEMBER 3, 2018VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: MAN WHO KILLED TWO SAIGON VIGILANTES GETS DEATH SENTENCE
A 24-year-old man who stabbed two Saigon vigilantes to death during a robbery attempt was sentenced to death on 29 November 2018.
- NOVEMBER 12, 2018VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: THREE DRUG DEALERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Hanoi court on 8 November 2018 sentenced three men to death and one man to life imprisonment for drug trafficking.
OCTOBER 16, 2018VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: SOUTH AFRICAN DRUG SMUGGLER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A Vietnamese court has sentenced a South African man to death for smuggling cocaine from Brazil into the Southeast Asian country, state media reported on 28 August 2018.
AUGUST 2, 2018VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN MAJOR DRUG TRAFFICKING CASE
The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City has handed down the capital punishment on five defendants involving in the illegal trade and transportation of a big amount of drug at the end of a four-day trial.
- JULY 18, 2018VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM PRESIDENT ORDERS REVIEW OF FARMER'S DEATH SENTENCE
Activists have welcomed the Vietnamese president's order to review the case of farmers given severe sentences including the death penalty for murder over a land dispute.
JULY 12, 2018VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT UPHELD FOR MAN IN LAND DISPUTE KILLING
A court in Ho Chi Minh City upheld the death sentence handed down to a Vietnamese man for killing three people over a land dispute in the Central Highlands' province of Dak Nong in 2016.
JULY 9, 2018VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: MURDERER OF 5 SENTENCED TO DEATH
The HCM City People’s Court handed down the death sentence to Nguyễn Hữu Tình, 18, after he admitted to murdering five members of a family in Bình Tân District last February.
- JUNE 13, 2018VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM - 2 SENTENCES
HEROIN AND METHAMPHETAMINE
- JANUARY 1, 2018VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment remains for crimes
Capital punishment remains for crimes such as murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking, and sexual abuse of children.
DECEMBER 12, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: THREE PEOPLE RECEIVE DEATH SENTENCES FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
The Hanoi People’s Court has sentenced three people to death for drug trafficking and transportation.
- OCTOBER 25, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM TO SCRAP DEATH PENALTY FOR 5 FELONIES UNDER AMENDED PENAL CODE
The amended 2015 Penal Code of Vietnam, which will take effect at the start of 2018, will no longer impose the death penalty on those found guilty of five felonies.
- SEPTEMBER 29, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTY
EX-CHIEF OF PETROVIETNAM SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR EMBEZZLEMENT
A court in Vietnam has sentenced the former head of state-owned oil-and-gas giant PetroVietnam to death after finding him guilty of embezzlement and abuse of power in a high-profile corruption case.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: HEROIN TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A court passed a death sentence on a 30-year-old man from Vietnam's Hanoi capital for trafficking over 230.5 kg of heroin and illegally possessing military weapons.
JULY 13, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: NEW LAW TO ENABLE CORRUPT OFFICIALS TO ESCAPE DEATH PENALTY BY PAYING BACK STOLEN MONEY
Amendments to Vietnam’s Penal Code, which takes effect in January 2018, give those found guilty of corruption and bribery the chance to escape the death sentence if they return 75 percent of their ill-gotten gains.
- JUNE 16, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: EIGHT VIETNAMESE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HEROIN TRAFFICKING
Eight Vietnamese, including two women, received death sentence after a court in the northern province of Hoa Binh found them guilty of trafficking 541 packs of heroin, the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported, citing the court verdict.
- MAY 30, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HEROIN SMUGGLING
A Vietnamese drug lord who continued to run his smuggling network from prison was sentenced to die alongside four of his lieutenants, an official said.
- MARCH 22, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: 9 MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Vietnamese state media say a court has sentenced nine men to death for trafficking more than 1,000 pounds of heroin.
FEBRUARY 22, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: HANOI COURT SENTENCES TWO VINASHIN EXECS TO DEATH
The People’s Court in Hanoi sentenced Tran Van Liem, former director general of Vinashin Ocean
- FEBRUARY 9, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM TO BUILD FIVE MORE LETHAL INJECTION VENUES
Five more venues to facilitate lethal injections will be built in Vietnam in the coming time according to the Ministry of Public Security.
- JANUARY 1, 2017VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment remains for crimes
Capital punishment remains for crimes such as murder, armed robbery, drug trafficking, and sexual abuse of children.
- DECEMBER 31, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTY
A court in the northern province of Thanh Hoa has sentenced a dog thief to death and jailed another for killing a dog owner.
A court in the northern province of Thanh Hoa has sentenced a dog thief to death and jailed another for killing a dog owner.
DECEMBER 31, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: DEATH PENALTY FOR SIX DRUG TRAFFICKERS
Six defendants involved in Viet Nam’s biggest drug trafficking case were sentenced to death by the People’s Court of the northern Quang Ninh Province.
NOVEMBER 21, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: APPEALS COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE ON AUSSIE DRUG TRAFFICKER
An appeals court in Vietnam commuted the death sentence of a 73-year-old Australian woman convicted of heroin trafficking.
- NOVEMBER 18, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTY
Vietnam's National Assembly approved the Law on Belief and Religion which replaces the current Ordinance on Belief and Religion.
Vietnam's National Assembly approved the Law on Belief and Religion which replaces the current Ordinance on Belief and Religion.